1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a formulation containing polyoxypropyleneamine partially neutralized with carboxylic acid which is devised for the preparation of flexible polyurethane foam without the use of a tertiary amine catalyst. These acid-modified polyoxypropyleneamines can also replace tertiary amine catalyst in all-water blown formulations for flexible foam.
2. Background Information
It is common knowledge among those skilled in the art that tertiary amine catalysts have to date played an indispensible role in the production of flexible foam. Many researchers are presently working to devise flexible foam formulations which require no hazardous volatile organic chemical blowing agents, and many are pursuing this effort by proposing formulations which use CO.sub.2 produced from the water-isocyanate reaction as the sole blowing agent.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,282,330 reveals the incorporation of formic acid modified low equivalent weight amino polyols as crosslinkers in molded polyether polyurethane semiflexible foams. In '330, an auxiliary tertiary amine(s) is used to catalyze the foam reaction(s). In the instant invention, no auxiliary tertiary amine was used, only the acid-modified secondary amine. In the instant invention, the acid-modified polyoxypropyleneamines may act as both crosslinker and catalyst in the foam reaction.